While the German men's national ice hockey team is currently preparing for the World Cup in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, they are also getting fit elsewhere. Because not only the German A-men will be competing at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Prague/Ostrava, CZE (May 10-26, 2024), there will also be referees and linesmen from the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (Deutscher Eishockey-Bund eV (DEB) are in use in the Czech Republic.
With André Schrader, Tim Heffner and Andreas Hofer DEB-Referee and two DEB-Line judge at the World Championship of the Top Division, to be there on the ice. André Schrader brings the experience of 465 games as the main referee in the PENNY DEL with him to Prague and Ostrava. In addition to several world championships, he has already been nominated for the Winter Olympics in 2014 and 2022. His career as a referee began at the age of 16 as a linesman.
DEB-Referee André Schrader: “I feel honored that the IIHF is giving me the opportunity again this year to prove and develop myself on this big stage. This is my eighth time taking part in an ice hockey world championship and I will work hard to ensure that many more tournaments at this level follow. The joy of this World Cup is at least as great as the first time, as the appreciation of participation increases even more as you get older, as you know how much work you have to invest in order to be considered for such a tournament. In addition to the desire for personal success and the goal of being on the ice in playoffs, it also means supporting and advising inexperienced colleagues and letting them benefit from my previous experiences.”
Further internationally nominated referees (March/April 2024): Nikolas Neutzer (WM18IIIA), Seedo Janssen (WM18IIB), Benjamin Hoppe (WMIA), Bastian Steingross (WMIB)
Other internationally nominated linesmen (March/April 2024): Patrick Lagusov (WMIA), Yannik Koziol (WM18IA), Vincent Brüggemann (WM18IB), Markus Merk (WMIIB)